Senate Judiciary Committee Issues Subpoena To Former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort

Paul Manafort

It looks like former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort tried to play hardball with the Senate Judiciary Committee and lost.

After negotiations for a voluntary interview broke down, the Senate panel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election has issued a subpoena requiring Mr. Manafort's attendance at a hearing.

From USAToday:

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the panel's ranking Democrat, confirmed the action Tuesday in a joint statement, saying that a Manafort offer to provide "a single transcribed interview'' to Congress, which would not be made available to the Senate panel, was unacceptable.

The Senate and House Intelligence committees also are conducting parallel inquiries into possible coordination between the campaign and Russia.

"While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr. Manafort's request, ultimately that was not possible,'' the panel leaders said.

The subpoena was issued late Monday night and demands Manafort's appearance at a Wednesday hearing.

"As with other witnesses, we may be willing to excuse him from Wednesday's hearing if he would be willing to agree to production of documents and a transcribed interview,'' the senators said.

Here's the full statement from the Senate Judiciary Committee: